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Middle East and North Africa News

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi marks one-year in power on June 30, 2013. It has been a contentious year fraught with growing troubles—and many protests. The opposition is calling for the biggest demonstrations since the 2011 uprising on the anniversary. The following run-down of Egypt’s top ten problems helps explain growing public frustration and rage.

The Emir of Qatar abdicated in favor of his 33-year-old son on June 25, 2013. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani announced the long-rumored decision on national television. “Teach your children the best of what you have been taught for they have been created for a time different than yours," he told his people.

In June 2013, the death toll in Syria reportedly rose to more than 100,000. The conflict began with non-violent protests in March 2011, but quickly turned violent after harsh regime crackdowns. Twelve women from seven Arab countries, from Bahrain to Egypt and Syria, were asked what they feared most about the conflict.

The endgame in Syria is not clear after two years of intense fighting between the rebels and government forces. But the Syrian opposition has made it clear that President Bashar Assad leave the country. Twelve women from seven Arab countries, from Bahrain to Egypt and Syria, were asked what a post-Assad Syria would be like.

The Middle East Program offers the latest news on the Iranian presidential election of June 2013, based on a selection of Iranian news sources. The Iran Election Update is a daily summary of up-to-date information with links to news in both English and Farsi. It includes the latest developments and analysis of news about the upcoming election.

Will Iran’s new president defuse the confrontation with the United States over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program? Rowhani has the credentials to bring a new spirit to the talks writes Michael Adler in Breaking Defense.

Grand Mufti Mohammed Ali Goma’a has warned that the rising tide of sectarianism threatens to tear Egyptian society apart. Egypt’s highest authority on Islamic law has argued that religious leaders have a responsibility to challenge extremist narratives. He discussed challenges to Christian-Muslim relations with Bishop Mouneer Hanna Anis, the Anglican bishop of Egypt and North Africa, at a June 14 event hosted by the United States of Peace.

Hamadi Jebali was Tunisia’s first prime minister after the 2011 Jasmine Revolution. Often compared to Nelson Mandela, he spent 17 years in prison for his involvement with the Islamist Ennahda movement. Jebali reflects on post-revolution achievements and failures and future challenges in two interviews and a public appearance.

With just about everyone expecting the need for a runoff, it came as a significant surprise when moderate presidential candidate Hassan Rouhani captured more than 50 percent of the vote. A late surge of enthusiasm and some key endorsements gave Rouhani the victory and seems to have given new life to Iran’s reform movement. Haleh Esfandiari, the Wilson Center’s Middle East Program Director, provides context.